Epiphanies of a gay nature
by Quack says the T-shape
Summary: Ryoma realises he's gay, and that everyone else on the team is too. Except Takasan. Momoryo


Ryoma awoke one morning, sun shining onto that one spot on his bed, his cat _sleeping _on that one spot on his bed, his heart beating steadily beneath his chest, and realised he was gay.

* * *

After his sudden epiphany, he noticed the muscles under Momo's shirt as he rode them both to school, chatting amiably. 

He noticed that whenever his team mates played, their t-shirts would ride up and allow him to see a teasing flash of flesh.

He also noticed that in the changing rooms, he got to see a lot more flesh than out on the courts.

He quickly realised that the thought of Horio, and others in his year, did nothing for him. Maybe it was because they weren't very good at tennis. Maybe it was because he went for older men. All Ryoma knew was watching Momo take off his shirt in the changing rooms had made him stare, and when Buchou had commanded them all to run 10 laps in his serious voice a shiver had run up his spine, and watching the Golden Pair play had almost been like porn.

Ryoma explained this all to Karupin in a hushed tone, because if his dad overheard him talking about feelings and sex he'd give him That Talk he'd been threatening to give him for 3 years, and then no doubt it would come out that Ryoma was gay, and his father would yell for his mother, then Nanako, then he'd have to explain, and it was really too much of a hassle.

Karupin seemed to understand, and stared up at him with her huge brown eyes, unblinking, and then tossed herself almost violently at his crossed legs and rubbed against him. Ryoma smiled and stroked her back, wondering if his team mates would take the news as affectionately as Karupin or as loudly as his family no doubt would.

* * *

Tezuka was playing Momo, and it was a mass of powerful shots and subtle movements that made Ryoma stare, and caused Fuji to comment to him, "See how Tezuka's shirt rides up when he does Tezuka zone?" 

Ryoma stared up at Fuji. Because he had noticed. So he nodded. Fuji's eyes opened, and then he asked, "And when Momo jumps up to do a Dunk Smash…"

Ryoma nodded again, because he'd also noticed that. Fuji smiled at him, and they watched Tezuka beat Momo together.

* * *

Ryoma approached Momo after the match with a towel, because whoever played Buchou inevitably ended up drenched in sweat. Momo smiled at him and took the towel, commenting woefully, "I was so close that time…" 

Ryoma looked at him. "It was 6-0."

Momo smiled ruefully at him, before exclaiming, "Yeah, but I made him work harder for it! Not all of us can push the captain as much as you."

Ryoma turned to find Tezuka, and saw that yes, Momo had made him work for it because he was sweating, and while all of Tezuka's opponents finished a game sweating, not all of Tezuka's opponents forced Tezuka to do the same. Fuji was standing in front of him, handing him a towel, and smiling pleasantly, and Tezuka was staring at Ryoma, who stared back.

"…Hey, Echizen. Echizen, quit staring at Buchou and go play your match with Inui-senpai."

Ryoma turned away, and saw Inui standing a few metres away observing him with a raised eyebrow. Ryoma picked up his tennis gear, and went to go beat his senpai.

* * *

The match finished long after practice ended, and Momo had gone to the library a while ago to study until it finished; the courts and changing rooms were deserted. After changing, Inui headed back into the school, and Ryoma went back to the courts to collect his towel which Momo had left after his defeat. 

On his return to the changing room to get his bag, he saw Tezuka pushed up against a wall by Fuji. "I saw you watching Ryoma today," Fuji told Tezuka, and then kissed him. It was getting quite heated, and Ryoma didn't want to hang around too long because Momo was still waiting, so he walked through the door, past the couple who instantly parted, picked up his bag, and turned to exit.

"Ryoma." He paused and turned, and saw Fuji staring at him as Tezuka looked at the ceiling. He waited a few seconds, then said, "What?"

Fuji smiled and turned back to Tezuka. "Nothing."

Ryoma left, and saw Oishi and Eiji exit the school gates, holding hands, and Inui and Kaidoh leave to do their evening training together.

Ryoma shook his head as he realised he was seeing gay everywhere. He remembered Momo in the library, and set off back into the school.

* * *

Momo was working on his English homework when Ryoma found him, and when Ryoma sat down in front of him he grinned across at him and said, "Just lemme finish this question, then we'll be off. You beat Inui-senpai, right?" 

Ryoma nodded absently, then asked Momo, "Is everyone on the team gay?"

Momo's pen stopped writing, and he slowly looked up at Ryoma. "What?"

"Is everyone on the team gay?" Ryoma repeated.

Momo stared across at him, then said, "Don't…you shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't what?"

"…just…"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow at him, and Momo bit his lip and mumbled, "Ummm…" He paused, then said, "Well…" Momo trailed off, "It's not the sort of thing a kid should be thinking about."

"You're only a year older than me," Ryoma pointed out, and Momo grinned.

"Yeah, but I'm a lot taller."

Ryoma rolled his eyes, then looked at Momo, expecting an answer. Momo slouched back in his chair, and said, "Not…everyone." He looked across at Ryoma, who stared at him waiting for him to elaborate. "Well, that is…I don't think Taka-san is."

Ryoma nodded, and after a pause said, "So, everyone else is. Apart from Taka-san."

Momo's mouth opened and closed, and then he muttered, "Not _everyone_…"

"Who else isn't?"

"Well," Momo said, sitting up in his chair. "You, for one."

"No, I am gay." Ryoma corrected him, watching as Momo once again froze and stared.

"You…you're…" Ryoma frowned at him, then nodded. There was silence for another few minutes, as Momo sat and stared off into space and Ryoma got bored and started correcting Momo's homework.

"So," Momo began, "You're…gay. And so is everyone else. Except Taka-san."

Ryoma looked up from Momo's homework, and then nodded. He glanced back down at the work, before commenting, "You too, right, Momo-senpai?"

Momo didn't reply, and Ryoma glanced up and Momo nodded. "And Fuji-senpai and Buchou are…"

Momo nodded again. "Also Eiji and Oishi-senpai."

Ryoma nodded in reply, and then asked, "Kaidoh and Inui?"

Momo shrugged his shoulders. "No-ones really sure about them two…"

Ryoma nodded, and then handed Momo back his homework. "Can we go now?" Momo glanced up from putting his books back into his bag and nodded, before grinning and exclaiming, "I call shotgun!"

Ryoma rolled his eyes and followed him. "I don't think it works on bikes…"

"Of course it works on bikes." Momo said condescendingly. "Because I said so."

They walked out of the school and headed towards the bike lockers, and Ryoma watched Momo. He was taller than him by quite a bit, and Ryoma had already seen the evidence of his time training, and how much it'd paid off. As Momo got his bike and positioned it to get on, Ryoma was still staring at him.

The sun was setting behind them and the wind was slowly moving leaves along the ground, and Ryoma realised he loved Momo.

Momo turned and asked the boy staring, "What?"

Ryoma's eyes narrowed as he tried to pinpoint why he loved Momo, but he really couldn't see it. Deciding to just accept it, Ryoma shrugged and moved forward and kissed Momo. It was chaste and soft, but only because Ryoma had to lean up so much and Momo had frozen and wasn't accommodating his lack of height at all. Ryoma pulled away and looked at Momo, who was wide-eyed, in annoyance.

Tugging Momo down by his shirt, Ryoma did it right this time, and Momo actually responded after a few moments, leaning down and wrapping his arms around Ryoma, before pulling away and asking a bit breathlessly, "This isn't because everyone else is taken, is it?" and Ryoma twisted his ear, ignored his yelp, and kissed him again.


End file.
